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Mosswood Meltdown is an annual beacon for all the freaks, geeks, rebels, righteousness, and everything that smells like punk rock. The East Bay punk scene has continued to thrive, as punkers converge on familiar and unique locations from 925 Gilman Street to the beach with a solar-powered van and even the public transit system. This is a dedicated mob of misfits that continues to expand and connect. It was no surprise that this year’s Mosswood Meltdown had a significantly larger attendance than years past. Moving the date to an off-holiday weekend was a plus. Although headlining a legend like Devo and closing the festival with Bratmobile, a new uprising force in the punk world, is a stronger likelihood for a significant increase in attendance. My main complaint was that this festival ended too soon. I am still hungry and looking forward to next year. This must have been a shared feeling, as the early bird tickets for 2026 sold out quicker than a sneeze.
The outstanding and highlighted punk-rock performances were Exploding Hearts, Giuda, Prison Affair, Osees, NIIS, and Twompsax. Every single moment on stage was special for a variety of reasons, which are listed below in order of appearance with grand photo memories.
Gentleman Jesse opened the festival with high-energy, simple lyrics and a catchy pop-punk feel. The musical influences of the Ramones were evident. The set was solid and better than I had initially previewed on Spotify and YouTube. The crowd demanded an encore, but the band politely declined until Charles (the MC) sided with the crowd. Lead singer Jesse Smith smiled broadly and said, “Only because it is your birthday, Charles.” Jesse was kind, considerate, and certainly prepared. They played a quick two additional minutes, then jumped off the stage.
Diesel Dudes delivered a hardcore/electro-punk with muscle joke theatrics. After the drummer finished his power weight lifting and dropped the barbell with a vibrating thump, I realized it wasn’t a fake prop, and neither was the show. The lyrics and beat were repetitive, yet not boring. The weight lifting powered up as the songs intensified. Performing alone is exhausting, and adding push-ups and weight lifting makes me think how hard it is in the music industry. It was a heavy-hitting, thrusting, good time.
NIIS was anything but typical hardcore. Their extra fierce, raging presence energized everyone. The lyrics roared commands to fight for America, especially that ICE can “fuck off.” Vocalist Mimi SanDoe must have frightened the audio engineer as her mic was muted quite a few times. I enjoyed the ferocious expression. NIIS (nice) crushed it on multiple levels, from expressive, poignant lyrics to screaming guitar riffs. NIIS gifted the crowd with a live version of their fresh album release “NIIS World”.
Bleached 🙂 The return of Jennifer and Jessie Clavin with Bleached was wildly welcomed. Bleached has a calmer and polished sound compared to their previous project, Mika Miko. Smooth and heartfelt, they rolled out songs that have been missing from their live performances for over 3 years. There is a special connection with their fans that has only grown stronger.
Prison Affair (a musical project from Barcelona) links gritty vocals and lyrics that challenge isolation and one’s choices. The egg-punk sound emphasizes high-hitting guitar riffs, utilizing a forceful drum beat that holds the chaos together. It’s fast; it’s quick; it’s punk. The songs average one and a half minutes in length. Snoozing is not an option. If so, you will miss something truly special and punk.
Exploding Hearts ended abruptly 20 years ago, after playing San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill. The band’s sole release has been remixed and resurfaced by Terry Six, the only surviving member of the original band. The current success of the tour is a statement to the timelessness of the Exploding Hearts’ 1st and Last album. At Mosswood Meltdown, the entire band entered the stage with a commanding presence – kind, purposeful, and powerful. The set ended with the favorite “I’m a Pretender.” The vibe was of old friends in the prime of their musical profession. After their set, many fans spilled guilty confessions of missing their last SF performance. Yet, instead of feeling closure, they only want more. My response is always to choose to see your favorite band live; obligations will always be around the next day. Then again, second chances usually exceed expectations when Terry Six is involved. Unsure if this is a one-off tribute tour or a launch into the development of a fresh new album. I am hoping for the latter.
Osees’ mix of drums and dancing vocal madness into an unhinged experience. Frontman John Dywer continues to bring something new and often chaotic to the live performances. The music hits garage rock, psychedelic punk, artfully delivering a unique, interesting, powerful, loud, poetic sound. The set-up was time-consuming, yet the outcome was rewarding.
DEVO! Red Cone Heads flooded the festival early, announcing their favorite musical heroes are coming – D.E.V.O! These legendary icons surely delivered with preserved voices and fine-tuned instrumental fun. There were several set pauses for outstanding kick-back ’80s-style videos. Hinted mentions of the current world issues, yet keeping the vibe light. Such as:
- “A warning that in this world we live in – we must – WHIP IT!”
- The remix of the Rolling Stones’ “I can’t get no satisfaction” into the egg-punk beat and poetic spitting lyrics.
- De-evolution is real! We don’t have to look for it.” “There was a question: Are we not Men! Response WE ARE DEVO!”
- “Questioning freedom of choice: ‘Where did it go?’” “Do you want Boogie Boy? We do too!”
A memorable special appearance of ‘Booji Boy’ spoke of memories of John Waters and Boogie Boy’s good fortune to meet “Divine.” Sweet ending as the set transitioned to the end with their own version of “Beautiful World.”
TINA!!! This band really emphasized the attitude within “Bubblegum punk.” Tina (Boom Boom) is no stranger to the festival, with her previous band “Trash Women”. She blasted the favorites – “She’s so tough”, “Dirty Lies”, then thought all emotions: sad, angry, and fun.. It was a great hangover cure!
The Giuda experience was an Italian 5 finger air-punch of a good time. The lyrics are fun, fast, and catchy. Good luck attempting to sing along; the beat is quick with rock ‘ n ‘ roll rebellion riffs. The explosive energy from frontman Nenda is matched with the lead guitarist Lorenzo, bassist Danilo, guitarist Michele, and drummer Alex. The energy can move the handicapped into a jiggling dance squad. This festival gig was on the tail end of their US tour, and the band played a local club the night before; yet, they shook the ground like no other. I truly doubt they sleep. There is a Facebook post that they are currently recording something new at Studio 606 in LA – truly excited and looking forward to the next one…
Haus of Libations -An outrageous blast of ridiculously adult fun. The humorous acting and insightful props were creative and played well with the theme. The audience’s laughter rocked the venue—an enjoyable, radically uncomfortable show, created for everyone.
Twompsax! Gotta love a poetic sound check. It was reminiscent of a vip show. Cher Strauberry, front person, sweetly gave a little teaser and something extra to restless fans between sets. Her multiple enthusiastic jumps and theatrics in expressing honoring yourself were emotionally uplifting. The set ended with Cher tossing the mic to a friend in the crowd, as a gift for her trans-birthday. As a crowd sang “Happy Birthday”, there was no need for a microphone. The entire city celebrates you. That is a community, friend!
Kreayshawn – Natassia’s honest and commanding performance sparked the crowd. Backed by a spinning genius Jewells Pena (DJ Fatboy), was stop, drop, and stomp. The “Hello Kitty” presence was a fun addition, despite Kreashawn claiming she is a dog-lover. It was a sweet lead-in toward “Missing Kitty,” a cat who acted like a dog. Unsure if her little cat was ever found? Kreayshawn’s rhymes and word juxtaposition are creative, intelligent, and humorous. After an energizing performance and long commute, she did pay tribute to her fans with a meet/greet along the rail for photos and signatures. Honoring fans is such a big part of the community. Rap isn’t my go-to genre; yet, Kreashawn was captivating, engaging, and isn’t to be ignored.
LaLuz‘s dreamy, sweet lullaby music swept the stage. Absent were the vocals until the second half of the set. The euphonious vocalizations blended with ethereal synthesizers and guitars to deliver a heavenly calm. They enhanced the afternoon with classic psychedelic-pop, delivering a soothing summer love vibe. La Luz introduced an additional band member, “the professor,” who led a worm dance competition down the center of a parted crowd. These female psychedelic musicians bring sweetness to the world with a timeless message.
Shannon and the Clams! Shannon enthusiastically reminisced on the days she wrote her at Mosswood Park. Life can be so surreal at times. John Waters’ introduction was that “music is her ultimate cure.” The set kicked off with a rock version of “You Will Always Bring Me Flowers,” then moved into the sweet Doo-wop and blues/rock rhythm they are known for. It was a happy set that would cure anyone’s saddest moment.
Relieved Bratmobile is on the main stage this year. In 2023, I was climbing and swinging from the speakers just to get a decent photograph. This crowd was tight and intense. Having a photo pit didn’t matter; everyone crashed through to get closer to the front of the stage. Lead singer Allision had a few polite political discourses with advice on being creative with retaliation. Bratmobile always gives the crowd more than they can handle and is very generous in sharing the stage. Returning to the stage was Brontez Purnell (Brauny) with his special dance moves, Drew from Trap Girl singing “Bitch Theme”, “Fix It,” and The Linda Lindas’ with “Cherry Bomb”, and closing the night with Trent from The Mummies doing his best Danzig impersonation on “Where Eagles Dare.”
A special THANK YOU to all the sponsors, vendors, and fans that make this festival possible!
